Coating for a pallet container for fluids

ABSTRACT

A coating for a pallet container for fluids, wherein such container comprises an internal container made of plastic material and a loading pallet, adapted for handling by lifting means, wherein such coating consists of a plurality of tubular elements arranged as a grating and constrained to each other to form a cage, wherein the tubular elements ( 14, 15, 16 ) have a circular section and some of them ( 15, 16 ) are provided with a series of local portions spaced and shape-deformed to allow a better coupling with other respective non-machined tubular elements with circular section ( 14 ) that form the grating by welding, at least some of the localised deformed portions being shaped as recesses ( 18, 22 ) obtained by mechanical deformation.

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating for a pallet container for fluids, usable for storing, handling and transporting fluids, also of the corrosive type.

[0002] As known, pallet containers are sold on the market and used for housing fluids of any type, in particular corrosive and similar fluids.

[0003] These pallet containers generally consist of an inside container made of plastic material, provided with a filler and a drainage tap, both sealed. The inside container is arranged onto a loading pallet, generally of the metal type, and is protected by a shell, made of metal as well, realised in the shape of a grating cage or sheet metal.

[0004] Moreover, even though not strictly related to the present invention, the loading pallet is adapted for handling by lifting means and is formed by a sheet metal pressed tray provided with corner feet and central supporting feet.

[0005] As said the shell, in particular if of the metal type, is realised by a grating of tubular element with square section that realises a cage for the side surface of the inside plastic container. It should be noted that these square-section tubular elements must be especially produced and machined with considerable difficulties to be constrained to one another. Their manufacture is not so simple either, because of their square section.

[0006] It may happen that during their preparation, before being constrained to form the cage grating, possible breakage areas and/or areas difficult to constrain form between each tubular element.

[0007] Moreover it should be noted that such tubular elements exhibit considerable machining differences in the top perimetrical portions of the side cage of the container, and of the bottom portion, which is rested onto the sheet metal pressed tray provided with support feet.

[0008] Last but not least, another technical problem is that of correlated to the fact that since such tubular elements with square section must be produced in large quantities, they are prepared to their final shape by pressing operations. Such square shape implies particularly complex equipment that also requires long times for positioning the initial square tubular element to obtain the finished piece. In such operations it is not easy to precisely keep into account the shrinkage of the tubular material with square section with the onset of weakening and considerable variations of the material thickness. A significant reduction of the coating resistance to static and dynamic stresses therefore occurs.

[0009] The long-studied problem of optimum solutions and production by burdensome profiling therefore occurs again, similarly to the operations for profiling the single pieces required for the realisation of a single side cage.

[0010] Object of the present invention therefore is that of realising a coating for a pallet container for fluids, which should achieve an optimum level of stability and resistance to any type of applied loads.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is that of realising a coating for a pallet container for fluids realised by a simple assembly and production cycle.

[0012] Yet another object of the present invention is that of realising a coating for a pallet container for fluids particularly simple and functional, with limited costs.

[0013] Another object of the present invention is that of realising a coating for a pallet container for fluids provided with such resistance as to ensure a safe transport of the container.

[0014] These objects according to the present invention are achieved by realising a coating for a pallet container for fluids as described in claim 1.

[0015] Further features are described in the dependent claims.

[0016] The features and advantages of a coating for a pallet container for fluids according to the present invention will appear more clearly from the following exemplificative and non-limiting description, made with reference to the attached schematic drawings, wherein:

[0017]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coating for a pallet container according to the present invention, wherein the container and the bottom pallet are indicated by a broken line;

[0018]FIG. 2 is an enlarged section view of a vertical tubular element forming such coating, with respective horizontal transversal elements in section as well;

[0019]FIG. 3 is a section along line III-III of FIG. 2;

[0020]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of FIG. 2 according to the present invention.

[0021] With reference to the figures, there is shown a coating, globally indicated with reference numeral 11, for a pallet container for fluids wherein such container comprises an inside container made of a plastic material 12 and a loading pallet 13, adapted for handling by lifting means.

[0022] Such coating 11 consists of a plurality of tubular elements 14, 15 and 16 arranged as a grating and constrained to one another to form a cage. In particular according to the present invention, all of such tubular elements 14, 15 and 16 have a circular section, such as a tube. In a preferred embodiment, they all have the same diameter size.

[0023] Moreover, according to the invention, some of the tubular elements 15 and 16 are provided with a series of local spaced and shape-deformed portions to allow a better coupling with other respective non-machined tubular elements essentially of the same type 14 that form the grating.

[0024] Looking at the figures it can be noted that in the example there is provided a first type of tubular element 14 suitably curved to form a horizontal square ring. Such tubular element 14 essentially is non-machined and forms each of five horizontal bands for containing the cage grating. One of these horizontal non-machined tubular elements 14 is provided with a gap 17 shaped as square ring for allowing the arrangement of the cage onto an inside container made of a plastic material 12, provided with a bottom drainage tap, provided with sealed closure, not shown.

[0025] Moreover, there is provided a second type of tubular element 15, suitably curved to form a horizontal square ring which is arranged to form the top end portion of coating 11.

[0026] Such tubular element 15 is provided with localised deformed portions 18 that form the housing for ends 19 of a third type of vertical tubular element 16. The localised portions 18 are shaped as recesses obtained by mechanical deformation and have top 20 and bottom 21 end ribbings that co-operate during the welding to the vertical tubular elements 16.

[0027] Examining now the presence of a third type of vertical tubular element 16, it can be noted that in a grating of a cage of coating 11 there can be around twenty.

[0028] Each vertical tubular element 16 has a circular section as well, and as said is provided with ends 19 adapted for realising a valid connection both with a normal tubular element 14, circular and non-machined, arranged at the lower base, and with a top tubular element 15 provided with localised deformed portions 18 mentioned above.

[0029] Moreover, in its intermediate portions, each vertical tubular element 16 is provided with a series of rounded deformed recesses 22, also obtained by mechanical deformation, that determine coupling ribbings 23, clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, spaced and parallel in vertical planes. As a consequence, each horizontal tubular element 14 is arranged in contact with the two ribbings 23 of each recess 22, thereby allowing an optimum steady constraint through welding. Moreover, two similar ribbings 24, protruding outwards, are realised by mechanical deformation at the ends 19 of each vertical tubular element 16.

[0030]FIG. 1 shows how a coating 11 for a pallet container for fluids is realised according to the invention.

[0031] The couplings between the single tubular elements 14, 15 and 16, realised with the co-operation of these ribbings 23 and 24 and of recesses 18, 22, ensure an excellent constraint to stresses, allowing a very simple and easy to mount and assemble initial tubular element.

[0032] Besides the use of metal material it is also possible to provide for the use of high-resistance plastic material, which may exhibit the advantage of eliminating the corrosion caused by fluids. Moreover, the use of components made of a plastic material can facilitate the operations for recycling the pallet container.

[0033] The use of tubular elements 14, 15 and 16 all having a circular section, such as a pipe, and which preferably have all the same diameter size, allows a considerable saving on the cost of the initial material.

[0034] Moreover, it eliminates all problems related to the deforming operations, which with the previous tubular elements with square section were very difficult and burdensome for both the coating preparation and finishing costs.

[0035] Several changes and variants can be made to a coating for pallet container for fluids thus conceived, all falling within the scope of the present invention.

[0036] Moreover, all detail parts can be replaced with technically equivalent elements. The materials used, as well as their size, can be of any type according to the technical requirements. 

1. Coating for a pallet container for fluids, wherein such container comprises an internal container made of plastic material and a loading pallet, adapted for handling by lifting means, wherein such coating consists of a plurality of tubular elements arranged as a grating and constrained to each other to form a cage, characterised in that said tubular elements (14, 15, 16) have a circular section and some of them (15, 16) are provided with a series of local portions spaced and shape-deformed to allow a better coupling with other respective non-machined tubular elements with circular section (14) that form the grating by welding, at least some of said localised deformed portions being shaped as recesses (18, 22) obtained by mechanical deformation.
 2. Coating for a pallet container for fluids according to claim 1, characterised in that a top tubular element (15) of said tubular elements (15, 16) is provided with a series of localised deformed portions (18) forming the housing for ends (19) of respective vertical tubular elements (16), said localised portions (18) being shaped as recesses obtained by mechanical deformation having top (20) and bottom (21) end ribbings that co-operate during the welding to ends (19) of said vertical tubular elements (16).
 3. Coating for a pallet container for fluids according to claim 1, characterised in that each vertical tubular element (16) is provided with a series of rounded deformed recesses (22), also obtained by mechanical deformation, that determine coupling ribbings (23).
 4. Coating for a pallet container for fluids according to claim 3, characterised in that said coupling ribbings (23) are spaced and parallel in vertical planes.
 5. Coating for a pallet container for fluids according to claim 1, characterised in that said non-machined tubular elements with circular section (14) are horizontally arranged, spaced from one another, to form said coating.
 6. Coating for a pallet container for fluids according to claim 2, characterised in that said ends (19) of said vertical tubular elements (16) are provided with two ribbings (24), protruding outwards, realised by mechanical deformation.
 7. Coating for a pallet container for fluids according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said circular section of said tubular elements (14, 15, 16) has the same diameter size. 